Tablet filling instrument

Abstract

A tablet filling instrument 1 for dispensing tablets into a vial 9 in accordance with prescription data and discharging the vial 9 filled with the tablets in one of a plurality of outlets 113 designates at least one of the outlets 113 to be a priority outlet 113 p and discharges the vial 9 filled with the tablets in the priority outlet 113 p when the tablets are to be dispensed in one of the outlets 113 at a time-point within a predetermined time length from a present time-point.

1. A tablet filling instrument comprising:
 a vial supply unit; 
 a tablet supply unit; 
 a conveyor unit; 
 a discharging unit comprising a plurality of outlets including at least one designated priority outlet and a plurality of designated normal outlets; and 
 a controlling unit, 
 the controlling unit responsive to input commands based upon prescription data to cause coordinated operation of the vial supply, tablet supply, conveying and discharge units such that tablets from the tablet supply unit are delivered to vials from the vial supply unit and conveyed by the conveying unit to the discharging unit through which the vials are discharged to one of the outlets for dispensing, 
 the controlling unit causing a prioritized vial with tablets that are designated to be dispensed at one of the outlets, at a time-point within a predetermined time length from a preset time-point, to be discharged by the discharging unit initially to the at least one designated priority outlet and not one of the designated normal outlets in the event that the at least one designated priority outlet is determined to be vacant. 
 
     
     
       2. The tablet filling instrument according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the time-point to dispense the tablets is contained in the prescription data. 
 
     
     
       3. The tablet filling instrument as defined in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the controlling unit causes the prioritized vial with tablets to be discharged to one of the designated normal outlets in the event that it is determined that the at least one designated priority outlet is occupied. 
 
     
     
       4. The tablet filling instrument according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the time-point to dispense the tablets is contained in the prescription data. 
 
     
     
       5. The tablet filling instrument according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the tablet filling instrument further comprises a display upon which a user is alerted to a priority nature of the prioritized vial with tablets and urged to take the prioritized vial with tablets out of the one of the designated normal outlets. 
 
     
     
       6. The tablet filling instrument according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the time-point to dispense the tablets is contained in the prescription data.